Computer-Telephone Integration (CTI) generally refers to a system in which a computer automatically responds to an incoming (or outgoing) telephone call. One application is in the consumer catalog business for a computer system which includes a data base of catalogue items and previous orders by customers. A computer-telephone integration system lets the customer service representative know the name of the calling customer without asking. The caller's telephone number, or a keyed in identification number, is extracted from the telephone system and fed into the computer to automatically retrieve and display data as required. Computer-telephone integration systems save time and greatly increase productivity. Such systems are used in the airline industry for handling fare and ticket queries and in many other businesses which regularly handle customer calls.
Computer-Telephone Integration is also applicable to outbound call handing. In applications such as account collections, a user of a CTI system could make many more contacts per day by the more efficient call processing that CTI affords. For example, A CTI system can automatically extract a telephone number from an application database record, and send commands to the telephone switching device that will dial the number extracted. This reduces keystroke and button push time for the user. In addition, A CTI system could command the telephone switching device to automatically dial from a list of telephone numbers (e.g. delinquent accounts) and not connect the call to a user until it has been determined that a live person has answered, eliminating calls unanswered, busy calls and calls answered by a telephone answering device.
Heretofore, however, such systems were individually configured to handle incoming or outgoing calls. That is, at any one site, technicians must install the hardware and software which allows the telephone to communicate with the database and spreadsheet programs existing on the computer system at the site. One reason for this is that individual computer application programs require the entry of unique commands to retrieve files. For example, a database program may require one set of commands to retrieve certain data while a spreadsheet application program may require quite different commands. The problem is compounded when users set up their own files and fields of data within those application programs because then the commands required to retrieve a file are unique to that user's system. Differences in operating systems are also a factor in customization.
Therefore, it is nearly impossible to design a computer telephone integration system which uniformly works with different application programs such as d-BASE, LOTUS 123, CARDFILE, etc. which all require different command sequences to retrieve files and/or data.
So, those skilled in the art of computer programming and system design would interface the user's computer to its telephone system and then write one program to access, for example, the accounts receivable data base file based on the caller's telephone number or other identification. Another program would be written to access for example, credit information spreadsheet files based on the same information.
This methodology requires knowledge of computer programming techniques and is often a large, time consuming, and expensive undertaking requiring the assistance of outside contractors.
Another consideration in computer-telephone integration systems is establishing rules for call handling. Some callers may need specialized treatment, such as a service representative who can speak a certain foreign language, or who is familiar with a specific caller's account. Some calls and some callers may always require priority handling while other calls, during a certain time period for example, could be rerouted or recorded and then handled at a later, less busy time. These priority rules are also usually individually programmed by those skilled in the art. Such priority rule programs, however, are site specific and will not work on other systems nor would they be applicable to another business.
Finally, there are many different manufacturers of telephone switching devices used in a computer-telephone integration system. Each manufacturer generally establishes unique protocols for the telephone functions to be performed on the computer such as the dial, hold, answer, conference, and transfer functions.
Again, those skilled in the art must write specific interface programs so that the commands from the computer keyboard are correctly recognized by the telephone switching device, and vice-versa.
In general then, computer telephone integration systems are generally custom designed and integrated for individual customers for use only at the customer site.